Methods for marking golf club ferrule

ABSTRACT

Described herein are methods of creating markings on a golf club ferrule, some of which comprising providing a polymeric ferrule body having a first color; painting at least a portion of the ferrule body with a paint material, the paint material having a second color that is different than the first color, such as with a high contrast; and removing one or more portions of the paint material from the ferrule body, such as by laser engraving, to reveal respective portions of the first color, thereby forming one or more markings on the ferrule.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/184,192, filed Jul. 15, 2011, which is incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD

The application relates generally to ferrules for a golf club, markingsthereon, and related methods for creating such markings.

BACKGROUND

Ferrules and sleeves can be used to join a golf club shaft to a golfclub head. The sleeve and ferrule can be fixed together and fixed to theshaft tip to form a shaft assembly. The sleeve is inserted into thehosel of the club head and secured with a locking mechanism. In golfclubs where the connection between the shaft assembly and the club headis adjustable, the shaft assembly can be configured to be rotationallyadjustable relative to the club head to provide a plurality of differentorientations of the club head face relative to the longitudinal axis ofthe shaft. To help a user make such an adjustment, some golf clubsinclude informational markings on the club head and on the sleeve tohelp align the shaft assembly at a desired rotational alignment relativeto the club head.

SUMMARY

Described herein are embodiments of ferrules and sleeves for a golfclub, markings thereon, and related methods for creating such markings.

Some exemplary methods of creating markings on a golf club ferrulecomprise providing a polymeric ferrule body having a first color;painting at least a portion of the ferrule body with a paint material,the paint material having a second color that is different than thefirst color; and removing one or more portions of the paint materialfrom the ferrule body to reveal respective portions of the first color,thereby forming one or more markings on the ferrule. In some of thesemethods, removing one or more portions of the paint material from theferrule body comprises laser engraving.

In some of these methods, the first color and the second color have ahigh contrast relative to one another. In some of these methods, CIELabL* value of the first color is greater than 75 and the CIELab L* valueof the second color is less than 25. In some of these methods, theabsolute value of the difference between the CIELab L* value of thefirst color and the CIELab L* value of the second color is at least 50.

In some of these methods, the ferrule body comprises a cellulosicmaterial, such as white cellulose acetate material, and in some of thesemethods the paint material comprises a black gloss paint.

In some of these methods, painting at least a portion of the ferrulebody with a paint material comprises painting a substantial portion ofthe outer surface of the ferrule body with the paint material.

In some of these methods, the ferrule is fixed to a shaft and a sleeveto form a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly being rotatably adjustablerelative to a golf club head, wherein the markings on the ferrulevisually indicate a rotational position of shaft assembly relative tothe golf club head.

In some of these methods, the ferrule comprises a plurality oflongitudinally oriented recesses and the markings are formed within therecesses.

In some of these methods, the markings comprise lines having smallaverage line widths, such as less than 1.0 mm. In some of these methods,the markings comprise one or more outlined characters.

In some of these methods, the ferrule body is injection molded.

In some of these methods, removing one or more portions of the paintmaterial from the ferrule body comprises masking the ferrule body priorto painting and removing the masking to reveal portions of the firstcolor.

Some exemplary embodiments of a golf club ferrule comprise a polymericferrule body having a first color and defining an outer surface, and acover layer comprising a paint material having a second color, the coverlayer covering a substantial portion of the outer surface of the ferrulebody, wherein one or more portions of the ferrule body are exposedthrough the cover layer, the exposed portions of the ferrule bodyforming informational markings on the ferrule.

In some of these methods, the difference between the CIELab L* value ofthe first color and the CIELab L* value of the second color is at least50.

In some of these methods, the informational markings have an averageline width of less than 1.0 mm.

In some of these methods, the ferrule is fixed to a shaft and a sleeveto form a shaft assembly of the golf club, the shaft assembly beingrotatably adjustable relative to a golf club head, wherein theinformational markings on the ferrule visually indicate a rotationalposition of the shaft assembly relative to the golf club head.

Some exemplary embodiments of a golf club comprise a golf club head anda shaft assembly adjustably attached to the golf club head, the shaftassembly comprising a shaft, a sleeve and a ferrule fixed together, thesleeve having an upper portion that includes at least one informationalmarking, the ferrule being positioned over the upper portion of thesleeve and comprising at least one feature such that the at least oneinformational marking can be seen through the at least one feature.

In some of these methods, the at least one feature comprises at leastone opening in the ferrule or at least one transparent portion of theferrule.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of theinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an exploded view of an exemplary golf club described herein.

FIG. 1B is an assembled view of the golf club of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the golf club of FIG.1B, showing a connection between an exemplary ferrule, an exemplarysleeve, and an exemplary club head body.

FIGS. 3A-3C are views of exemplary sleeves for use in the golf club ofFIG. 1B.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an exemplary ferrule having markings,for use in the golf club of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 4B is a top view of the ferrule of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the ferrule of FIG. 4B, taken alongsection line 4C.

FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view of the ferrule of FIG. 4B, taken alongsection line 4D.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are side views of an exemplary combination of a sleeveand a ferrule, including exemplary markings, the combination for usewith the golf club of FIG. 1B.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are side views of another exemplary combination of asleeve and a ferrule, including exemplary markings, the combination foruse with the golf club of FIG. 1B.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are side views of yet another exemplary combination of asleeve and a ferrule, including exemplary markings, the combination foruse with the golf club of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an exemplary ferrule having openings.

FIG. 8B is an exploded view of a portion of an exemplary golf club,showing a sleeve having markings on an upper portion and the ferrule ofFIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is an assembled view of the portion of the golf club shown inFIG. 8B, showing the markings on the sleeve being visible through theopenings in the ferrule.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described herein are embodiments of ferrules and sleeves for a golfclub, markings thereon, and related methods for creating such markings.The following description is exemplary in nature and is not intended tolimit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in anyway. Various changes to the described embodiments and methods may bemade in the function and arrangement of the elements described hereinwithout departing from the scope of the invention.

As used in this application, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.The phrase “and/or” means “and”, “or” and both “and” and “or”. The term“includes” means “comprises.” Further, the term “coupled” generallymeans mechanically, electrically and/or chemically coupled or linked anddoes not exclude the presence of intermediate elements between thecoupled or associated items absent specific contrary language.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, an exemplary golf club 2 can comprise aclub head 4, a shaft 6, a sleeve 8, a ferrule 10, and various othercomponents. As shown in FIG. 2, the ferrule 10 can be positioned over afirst end portion of the sleeve 8 and an opposite end portion of thesleeve can be secured within a hosel 12 of the club head 4, such as bymeans of a screw fastener 14. A lower end portion, or tip, of the shaft6 can extend through the ferrule 10 and into the sleeve 8. The shaft 6,sleeve 8 and ferrule 10 can be fixed together in a semi-permanentmanner, such as by means of friction fits, adhesives, such as epoxy,and/or other conventional attachment means. This fixed assembly of theshaft 6, sleeve 8 and ferrule 10 is referred to herein as the shaftassembly 16.

The shaft assembly 16 can be rotationally adjustable with respect to thehosel 12. Adjusting the rotational position of the shaft assembly 16relative to the hosel 12 can change the alignment of the club head 4with respect to a longitudinal axis of the shaft 6. To aid in adjustingthe rotational position of shaft assembly 16 relative to the hosel 12,one or more surfaces of the shaft assembly, such as exposed surfaces ofthe sleeve 8 and/or the ferrule 10, can include markings that can bealigned with an indicator on the hosel. As used herein, the term“markings” can include decorative markings that are for aestheticpurposes, as well as informational markings that are used to conveyinformation to the user, such as information about the rotationalpositioning of the shaft assembly. The term “informational markings”includes markings that convey useful information to the user, such asinformation related to the functionality or adjustability of the golfclub, and excludes markings that are only decorative. For example,informational markings can include an indication of loft, lie, faceangle, or intended ball trajectory such as a “right” or “left” or“neutral” flight path. The structure of the shaft assembly 16 and itsinteraction with the club head 4 is described in greater detail in U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0197424 A1, which isincorporated herein by reference.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A-3C, the sleeve 8 can include a top sleeveportion 20, a middle sleeve portion 22, and a bottom sleeve portion 24.The top portion 20 can include a tapered and recessed surface 26, a widetop rim 28, a narrow mid-section 30, and a wide lower portion 32. Thetop sleeve portion 20 can be covered by the ferrule 10 such that the topsleeve portion is not visible in the assembled golf club 2 (see FIGS. 1Aand 2). The wide lower portion 32 of the top sleeve portion 20 isadjacent to an even wider shoulder region 34. The shoulder region 34 caninclude a bottom engaging surface 36 that abuts a top surface of thehosel 12, and a top engaging surface 38 that abuts a lower surface ofthe ferrule 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shoulder region 34 can be visible in theassembled golf club between the ferrule 10 and the hosel 12. In someembodiments, the shoulder region 34 is the only portion of the sleeve 8that is visible in the assembled golf club 2. The shoulder region 34 ofthe sleeve 8 can include informational markings that indicate therotational orientation of the sleeve 8 with respect to the hosel 12 ofthe club head 4. For example, markings 40 on the shoulder region 34, asshown in FIG. 3A, can be aligned with an indicator 13 located on thevisible exterior surface of the hosel 12.

Additional sleeve markings 42 can also be located on the middle sleeveportion 22. These markings 42 can be hidden within the hosel 12 when thegolf club is assembled. In some embodiments, such as the embodimentshown in FIG. 8B, the top sleeve portion 20 can also include markingsthat are visible through openings in the ferrule 10.

The middle sleeve portion 22 can include a first section 44 and a secondsection 46. The first section 44 and second section 46 can be separatedby a ridge portion 48. The first section 44 can include an upperengaging surface 50 that is adjacent and generally perpendicular to thelower surface 36 of the shoulder region 34.

FIG. 3B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the sleeve 8, showing aninterior opening 52 configured to receive the lower tip of the shaft 6.FIG. 3C illustrates an alternative sleeve embodiment 8A having the sameor similar exterior features as the sleeve 8, but wherein the opening52A is shallower and/or has a different diameter(s) than the opening 52in the sleeve 8.

The sleeve 8 can be made of a strong, lightweight base material, such asan aluminum alloy (A1 7075-T6 for example), or other strong materials,such as a steel material. This base material can have a bright, metalliccolor. At least some surfaces of the sleeve 8 can further be anodizedand/or painted one or more colors, such as darker colors that contrastwith the color of the base material. Anodizing a metallic base materialprior to painting it can provide greater adhesion and durability of thepaint. In some embodiments, the shoulder region 34 of the sleeve 8 ispainted black and the surfaces below the shoulder region that areinserted into the hosel 12, including the middle and lower sleeveportions 22, 24, are painted red. The top sleeve portion 20 is coveredby the ferrule 10 and can be painted any color or not painted.

Markings on the sleeve 8, such as the markings 40, 42, can be created invarious ways. In some embodiments, sleeve markings can be created bypainting over the darker colored paint with a lighter, contrastingcolored paint, such as a white paint. In some embodiments, sleevemarkings can comprise areas of the base material that are not painted orwhere the paint has been removed. For example, in some embodimentsmarkings can be created by masking portions of the base material priorto painting, then removing the masking to reveal the contrasting colorof the base material beneath the paint. In some embodiments, markingscan be created by removing portions of the paint to reveal thecontrasting color of the base material underneath the paint. Forexample, portions of the dark paint can be removed with a laserengraving process to reveal the contrasting color of the base material.As shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, some embodiments of the ferrule 10 can comprisean outer wall 60 and an inner wall 62. The outer wall 60 can include atapered upper portion 64 that connects to the top of the inner wall 60.The inner wall 60 can have an annular inner surface 66 that defines anopening 68 for receiving the shaft 6. The diameter of the opening 68 canbe slightly larger than the corresponding shaft tip diameter. Theferrule can include a plurality of protrusions 70 that extend into theopening 68 from the side wall 66 and that can contact the shaft 6 tocenter the shaft with respect to the ferrule 10.

The outer wall 60 of the ferrule 10 can have a generally cylindricalinner surface 72 that is hidden when the golf club is assembled and anouter surface 74 that is exposed when the golf club is assembled. Theouter surface 74 includes all of the exposed surfaces, including thetapered upper portion 64, a lower portion 80, a plurality oflongitudinal recesses 76 and a plurality of longitudinal ridges 78. Therecesses 76 and the ridges 78 can be formed in an alternating patternaround the outer wall 60 as shown in FIG. 4A. The recesses 76 and ridges78 can extend between the tapered upper portion 64 of the ferrule 10 andthe lower portion 80 of the ferrule. Eight recesses 76 and eight ridges78 are shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, but other embodiments of the ferrule 10 caninclude more or fewer recesses. The outer wall 60 of the ferrule 10 canbe generally tapered from a greater outer diameter at the lower portion80 to a narrower outer diameter adjacent the tapered portion 64. Asshown in FIG. 4D, the ridges 78 can also taper in thickness from thelower portion 80 toward the upper tapered portion 64, such that therecesses 76 are deeper adjacent the lower portion 80 and shalloweradjacent the tapered portion 64. The ridges 78 and recesses 76 canprovide a better grip for the user, compared to a smooth outer surface74, for twisting the shaft assembly 16. Ferrule markings, such as theillustrated markings 82, can be located in the recesses 76 and/or onother portions of the outer surface 74.

As shown in FIG. 4D, an annular cavity 84 can be formed between theinner wall 62 and the outer wall 60. As shown in FIG. 2, when the golfclub 2 is assembled, the annular cavity 84 can fittingly receive the toprim 28 of the sleeve 8, such as with an interference fit, while thelower portion 80 of the ferrule 10 can abut the top edge 38 of theshoulder region 34 of the sleeve 8 and fit tightly around the wide lowerportion 32 of the top sleeve portion 20, such as with an interferencefit. In addition to these contact regions between the ferrule 10 and thesleeve 8, a space 86 defined between the outer wall 60 of the ferrule 10and the mid-section 30 of the top sleeve portion 20 can be filled withan adhesive, such as epoxy, to help fix the ferrule 10 to the sleeve 8.

The ferrule 10 can comprise a ferrule body and a paint material appliedto outer surfaces of the ferrule body. The ferrule body can be made of alightweight material, such as a polymeric material. The material of theferrule body can be less strong and lighter weight than the basematerial of the sleeve 8 because, unlike the sleeve, the ferrule doesnot need to transfer large forces between the shaft 6 and the club head4. By constructing the ferrule 10 of a lighter weight material, thecenter of gravity of the golf club 2 can be lowered, or moved closer tothe sole of the club head 4. The color of the ferrule body can be alight color, such as a white color.

In some embodiments, the ferrule body can comprise a cellulosicmaterial, such as a cellulose acetate material having a hardness of 55shore D. In other embodiments, the ferrule body can comprise one or moreother polymeric materials, such as, but not limited to, cellulosics suchas cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetatepropionate, ethyl cellulose and cellulose propionate, ethylene vinylacetate, ethylene vinyl alcohol, fluoropolymer, ionomer, nylon, aromaticpolyamide, polyarylates, polyarylether, polyarylsulfone, polybutylene,polycarbonate, polyester, polyestercarbonate, polyetheretherketone,polyethylene, polyimide, polypropylene, polystyrene and styrenecopolymers, polysufone, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene dichloride,polyurethane, and combinations of these and/or other polymers.

The colors described herein can be defined and measured with respect tothe CIELab color space using L*, a*, b* color values. As used herein, L*is referred to as lightness and ranges between 0 and 100, wherein an L*value of 0 represents black and an L* of 100 represents a perfect whitediffuser. In some embodiments, the CIELab L* value of the ferrule bodycan be greater than 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, and/or 93.

The polymeric material of the ferrule 10 can be more difficult to paintand mark, however, compared to the metallic material of the sleeve 8,partly because the polymeric material of the ferrule body cannot beanodized prior to painting. In some embodiments, at least a portion ofthe outer surface 74 of the ferrule 10 can be painted with a paintmaterial having different color and/or L* value than the color of theferrule body, for example a darker color, such as a gloss black, thatcontrasts with the lighter color of the ferrule body. As used herein,the terms “paint”, “painted”, “painting” and the like are used in ageneral sense to refer to any type of process for covering the ferrulebody with a thin layer of another material, such as to change the color,protect the ferrule body, etc. In some embodiments, the CIELab L* valueof the paint material on the ferrule 10 can be less than 60, 50, 40, 30,25, 20, 15, 10 and/or 5.

In some embodiments, all and/or a substantial portion of the outersurface 74 of the ferrule 10 can be painted with a paint material havinga different color than the ferrule body. As used herein, the term “asubstantial portion of the outer surface” can mean at least 25%, atleast 50%, at least 75%, at least 85%, at least 90% and/or at least 95%of the outer surface 74.

To create markings on the ferrule 10, one or more portions of the paintmaterial can be removed, such as by using a laser, in for example alaser engraving process, to reveal the contrasting color of the ferrulebody. Using a laser engraving process to create markings can result inmore accurate, more detailed and more durable markings. Laser engravingcan also allow for faster and more efficient manufacturing processes.

In other embodiments, portions of the ferrule body to be marked canfirst be masked, then the ferrule body can be painted, and then themasking can be removed to reveal the color of the ferrule body andthereby form the markings.

By creating the markings on the ferrule using laser engraving, themarkings can be made highly visible and can have greater definition. Forexample, smaller characters and thinner line widths can be achieved byusing laser engraving than with conventional marking methods. In someembodiments, ferrule markings can comprise average line widths of lessof than 1.0 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.07 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.04 mm, 0.03 mm, 0.02m, 0.01 mm and/or 0.001 mm. In some embodiments, the ferrule markingscan comprise character font sizes of less than 12 point, 10 point, 8point, 6 point, 5 point, 4 point, 3 point and/or 2 point. In someembodiments, the ferrule markings can comprise characters having averageheights of less than 5 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm, 0.5 mm and/or 0.1 mm. Whilebeing small, such markings can be highly visible to the user due to theprecision of the marking process and the high contrast of the colors.

In some embodiments, outlined markings (such as markings 82 in FIG. 4A)can be created by forming a thin line, or outline, around the perimeterof a portion of paint material in a desired shape, such as a letter orlogo, such that the marking comprises the engraved outline as well asthe portion of paint material within the outline. In this way, a largermarking can be formed without having to remove as much paint. Theoutline can have an average line width as described in the precedingparagraph, and the marking (a letter, logo, etc.) can have a characterfont size and/or average height as described in the previous paragraph.In some embodiments, such markings can be created in the recesses 76and/or on other portions of the ferrule 10.

A high contrast can be achieved between the color of the ferrule bodyand the color of the paint material. For example, a white color of theferrule body can provide high contrast relative to a black color of thepaint material. The term “contrast” is defined herein as the absolutevalue of the difference between the L* values of two adjacent colors,and can be represented by “ΔL*”. For example, if the L* value of theferrule body color is 75 and the L* value of the paint material color is25, then the contrast, or ΔL*, between the paint material color and theferrule body color is 50. In some embodiments, ΔL* between the paintmaterial color and the ferrule body color can be greater than 25,greater than 40, greater than 50, greater than 60, greater than 70,greater than 75, greater than 80, greater than 85 and/or greater than90. In some embodiments, the ferrule body color and the paint materialcolor can have a “high contrast,” which can be defined as a ΔL* valuethat is greater than 40, greater than 50, greater than 60, greater than65, greater than 70 and/or greater than 75 (if not otherwise defined,the term “high contrast” in a claim means a ΔL* value greater than 40).In one particular embodiment, the L* value of the ferrule body is 25 andthe L* value of the paint material is 75, making ΔL* equal to 50, whichis a high contrast because it is greater than 40.

Because the ferrule markings can be negative images engraved out of thepaint material, the markings can be more resistant to chipping off orwearing away than if the markings were formed by painting the markingspositively onto the ferrule body. The painted areas surrounding theengraved markings can have much larger area than the engraved markingsthemselves, such that the engraved markings, or “relief” markings, aremore durable than if the markings were made by positively painting themarkings onto the ferrule body. In the latter case, the markings wouldbe formed of small areas of paint (thin lines, small characters) thatcan more easily be chipped off or worn away compared to engravedmarkings.

Also, because the ferrule markings can be made with greater precisionand smaller sizes, more markings can be placed in smaller areas on theferrule 10. For example, with laser engraving, words with more letterscan be included in a given surface area. For example, for a given areaon the ferrule 10, instead of just using an abbreviation, such as “STD”,as a marking, the whole word “STANDARD” or a longer phrase like “STDLOFT” can be used as the marking. This can provide the user with moreinformation and reduce confusion as to what the markings mean. Laserengraved markings on the ferrule 10 can be located on various areas ofthe outer surface of the ferrule. As shown in FIG. 4A, markings 82 canbe located in the recesses 76. In some embodiments, markings can belocated on the ridges 78, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. Markings in therecesses 76 can be more durable than markings on the ridges, as theusers hands make more contact with the ridges 78 and can wear the ridgesurfaces more significantly over time. Markings can also be located onthe lower portion 80 of the ferrule.

The ferrule markings 82 can corresponds with sleeve markings 40 on theshoulder region 34 and sleeve markings 42 on the middle sleeve portion22 to indicate plural orientation positions of the shaft assembly 16.The sleeve markings 42 can be formed to extend over the ridge 48 betweenthe top and bottom sections 46, 44 of the middle sleeve portion 22. Atleast one additional marking, such as the indicator 13 shown in FIGS. 1Aand 1B, can be included on the hosel 12. The markings on the sleeve andferrule that align with the indicator 13 on the hosel can indicate tothe user the rotational relationship between the shaft assembly 16 andthe club head 4.

The available surface area of the ferrule 10 can be much greater thanthe available surface area of the shoulder region 34 of the sleeve 8.Thus, it can be desirable to include markings on the ferrule 10 inaddition to, or in place of, the markings 40 on the shoulder region 34.Larger markings and markings with more characters can be included on theferrule 10 as opposed to the smaller shoulder region 34. As shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B, markings 82 on the ridges of the ferrule 10 can includecharacters written in different orientations, such that they can beeasily read when the shaft assembly is positioned horizontally orvertically. Because the markings 82 on the ferrule 10 can be descriptiveenough to be self-explanatory, the markings 40 on the shoulder region 34of the sleeve 8 can be less descriptive or not included. This can allowfor a smaller shoulder region 34 and thus a smaller and lighter sleeve8. As the sleeve 8 is generally comprised of a heavier material than theferrule 10, a smaller sleeve and larger ferrule can result is lessoverall weight in the shaft assembly 16, which can lower the center ofgravity of the golf club and/or allow the difference in weight to beredistributed to another part of the club, such as in the club head 4.In addition, as the ferrule 10 is fixed to the sleeve 8, the sleevemarkings 40 and the ferrule markings 82 can combine together to fromlarger markings that cross over both the ferrule 10 and the shoulderregion 34.

Having more information present in the markings 40 and 82 can allow auser to more readily understand the markings when the golf club isassembled and the markings 42 are hidden within the hosel 12. Forexample, when a golfer looks at an assembled club and only sees a singleletter, such an “L”, on the shoulder region 34 that is aligned with anindicator on the hosel, the user may not know what “L” stands for (doesit mean “LOFT”, “LEFT” or some other concept?), and may need to refer toa manual or disassemble the shaft assembly from the hosel 12 to readadditional markings on the hidden parts of the sleeve to understand what“L” stands for. This can be time consuming, annoying, and/or impossible,such as if the golfer is in the middle of a round of golf. However, ifthe golfer looks at the assembled club and sees the marking “LEFT” onthe ferrule 10, instead of just “L”, the user can intuitively understandthat aligning that marking with the indicator 13 on the hosel willresult in ball traveling more to the left on a shot. And if the usersees the marking “LEFT 2°”, the user can get even more information fromthe marking.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in some embodiments the shoulder region 34 ofthe sleeve 8 can nevertheless be made thicker and the ferrule 10 can besmaller. This can allow for additional and/or more detailed markings tobe located on the shoulder region 34. With sufficient markings on theshoulder region 34, the ferrule 10 can be free of markings or have lessdetailed markings while still providing enough information to a userwhen the golf club is assembled.

The outer surface of the ferrule 10 can include a protectant layer, orcover layer, that can be applied after the markings 82 are created. Theprotectant can help protect the painted surfaces and the portions of theferrule body that are exposed at the markings 82 from dirt, scratches,wearing, corrosion, and/or other damage. In addition, a glossy finishcan be applied to all exposed surfaces to further protect the surfacesand provide a desirable appearance.

As shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, alternative embodiments of a ferrule 100 cancomprise one or more features that allow a user to see through theferrule 100 and view the sleeve 8 beneath the ferrule. For example, suchfeatures can comprise one or more windows 102 in the outer wall 104 ofthe ferrule. In other embodiments, such features can comprise one ormore transparent portions of the ferrule.

The ferrule 100 can be fixed to an alternative embodiment of a sleeve110 that includes markings 112 on the top sleeve portion 114 above ashoulder region 116. The markings 112 can be formed by laser engraving apaint layer applied to the top sleeve portion 114. In some embodiments,the top sleeve portion 114 is anodized and painted a red color and themarkings 112 are laser engraved through the red paint to reveal thebright metallic color of the underlying aluminum base material of thesleeve 8. In some of these embodiments, the ferrule 100 can have a blackpainted outer surface and can have at least one window 102 that exposesa red painted top sleeve portion 102 with a metallic colored marking inthe center. The colors of the paint used on the sleeve and the ferrulecan vary to provide a desired contrast, such as a high contrast, and/orother visual characteristics. In some embodiments, the markings 112 canbe formed in other ways, such as by a masking process or by painting themarkings onto an otherwise unpainted top sleeve portion 114.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, the ferrule 100 includes fourwindows 102 that align with four markings 112 on the sleeve 8. In otherembodiments, more or fewer windows 102 and markings 112, such as 3 orfewer to 8 or more, can be included, though the number of windows andthe number of markings are generally the same. In some of theseembodiments, the ferrule 100 can be free of markings. In others of theseembodiments, the ferrule 100 can include markings, like the markings 82shown in FIG. 4A, in addition to the widows 102.

In other embodiments (not shown), the ferrule body can be made from amaterial that is clear or at least partially transparent, such that auser can see through the ferrule body and see the top sleeve portionbeneath the ferrule. In some of these embodiments, the ferrule body canbe painted with a dark colored paint material, and then laser engravedto expose the transparent ferrule body. The underlying top sleeveportion can be bare metal or painted to have a high contrast compared tothe color that the ferrule is painted. In other embodiments, a portionof the clear ferrule body is left unpainted, and the underlying topsleeve portion includes markings that can be seen through the unpaintedportions of the clear ferrule body.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of thedisclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that theillustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention andshould not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, thescope of the invention is defined by the following claims. We thereforeclaim as our invention all that comes within the scope of these claims.

We claim:
 1. A method of creating markings on a golf club ferrule,comprising: providing a polymeric ferrule body having a first color;painting at least a portion of the ferrule body with a paint material,the paint material having a second color that is different than thefirst color; and removing one or more portions of the paint materialfrom the ferrule body to reveal respective portions of the first color,thereby forming one or more markings on the ferrule, wherein the firstcolor and the second color have a high contrast relative to one another.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the CIELab L* value of the first coloris greater than 75 and the CIELab L* value of the second color is lessthan
 25. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute value of thedifference between the CIELab L* value of the first color and the CIELabL* value of the second color is at least
 50. 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the polymeric ferrule body comprises a white cellulosicmaterial.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein painting at least a portionof the polymeric ferrule body with a paint material comprises painting asubstantial portion of the outer surface of the ferrule body with thepaint material.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein painting at least aportion of the ferrule body with a paint material comprises painting allof the outer surface of the ferrule body with the paint material.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the ferrule comprises a plurality oflongitudinally oriented recesses and the markings are formed within therecesses.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the markings comprise lineshaving average line widths of less than 1.0 mm.
 9. The method of claim1, wherein the markings comprise one or more outlined characters. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein the markings comprise informationalmarkings that provide information related to at least one of a golf clublie angle, a golf club loft angle, a golf ball trajectory, or a golfclub face angle.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein removing one or moreportions of the paint material from the ferrule body comprises maskingthe ferrule body prior to painting and removing the masking to revealportions of the ferrule body.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein theferrule is fixable to a shaft and a sleeve to form a shaft assembly, theshaft assembly being rotatably adjustable relative to a golf club head,wherein the markings on the ferrule visually indicate a rotationalposition of shaft assembly relative to the golf club head.